User:Coppertwig/Pierre Trudeau's 1983-84 peace initiative

Background
It was during the Cold War. Talks had broken down in Vienna.

A Korean airliner had been shot down by the Soviets, resulting in the death of ten Canadians and leading to an extremely tense international situation. Trudeau called a meeting of advisors and associates and said that something needed to be done to reduce international tension. He proposed a peace initiative. His advisors were dubious about the possibility of success of such an initiative, but were willing to put effort into it.

Impact
"In the short run, all of our ideas and words went for nought because the international situation was not ripe for agreement. After my time in External and shortly before his departure from office in 1984, the PM tried another world initiative, which focussed much attention on the need for disarmament, but also fell short of success." p. 68 "An Inside Look at External Affairs during the Trudeau years": "The Memoirs of Mark MacGuigan", ed. P. Whitney Lackenbauer, 2002, U. of Calgary Press.

"... and his Peace Initiative and pursuit of relations with the Third World were even more idealistic than anything contemplated by Pearson." p. 88 "From Pride to Influence: "Towards a New Canadian Foreign Policy", Michael Hart (Simon Reisman Professor of Trade Policy, Norman Patterson School of International Affairs, and Distinguished Fellow of the Centre for Trade Policy and Law at Carleton University. UBC Presss 2008.

Summary
The U.S. and USSR were in an arms race and talks (MBFR, START, INF) were going nowhere. Pershing missiles were to be deployed, and peace groups were protesting. On August 30, 1983, a Korean Airlines Boeing 747 was shot down by Soviets, a tragedy which involved the loss of life of ten Canadians and which Trudeau called an "accident", but which triggered high-strung tension between the superpowers. "The prime minister wanted 'to lower tensions, to civilize the dialogue, to get out of the Cold War era.'"

The peace initiative was born was on September 21, 1983, when Trudeau met with some of ministers and officials and expressed determination to do something. This meeting set up steering committee of nine and planned to convene a working group, which met two days later and was headed by Louis Delvoie, director general of the International Security and Arms Control Bureau in External Affairs, who was the only person to be part of all three committees.

The Working Group worked long sessions until the early morning hours of September 28 to prepare ideas to present to the steering committee. They had 26 proposals, and prepared a blue book with 4 to 5 pages on each, of which they recommended six. This book, in revised form dated October 1, is titled "Proposals on East-West Relations and International Security". Along with a draft of a speech to launch the initiative at the University of Guelph, the blue book was considered at a meeting at Meech Lake of Trudeau and his group of ministers and officials on October 7. This meeting chose five proposals. As presented by Trudeau at Guelph, they were: A few days later Trudeau mentioned ASAT.... ref Legault and Fortmann The initiative had little chance of success, according to history professors Granatstein and Bothwell, but Trudeau was adamant that something had to be done to improve the world situation. The initiative was launched without consulting with allies, and in the full expectation of disapproval by the United States.
 * A conference of five nuclear powers;
 * Support for the non-proliferation treaty;
 * Negotiations towards a balance of conventional forces;
 * Raising the nuclear threshold in Europe, and
 * Working towards progress in verification.

The launch of the initiative was on October 27 at a conference on "Strategies for Peace and Security in the Nuclear Age" at the University of Guelph.

Miscellaneious notes
"This week's visit to Washington" (Dec. 17, 1983). "He isn't likely to abandon the initiative, at least until he has followed up this week's visit to Washington with a visit to ... Moscow ... that the ailing Soviet president, Yuri Andropov, will soon pull himself together sufficiently to receive Trudeau." (Peace initiative as strategy to maintain leadership of party)

"Moscow, the last major capital he has yet to visit." Wants summit of 5 major powers. Broadbent calls for "freeze on development and deployment of all nuclear weapons". Trudeau calls for "injection of political will". Trudeau says earlier in the month, NATO agreed to his suggestion to upgrade a disarmament conference to foreign ministers.

(Tues.) Has visited 15 nations since early November. Countries offered encouragement but little else. Waiting invitation to Moscow. Andropov unavailable since mid-August because of illness. Guelph disarmament conference October 28, Trudeau kicked off peace mission. Reagan offered Trudeau "godspeed in your efforts to help build a durable peace". At the same time, arms talks in Vienna and Geneva were breaking down. Trudeau's five points: (1) Star Wars? (2) 5-nation summit, (3) expansion of non-proliferation to include potential nuclear powers e.g. Israel, India; (4) restrict "excessive mobility of small missiles" (5) (?) "need for new initiatives". Stockholm conference was planned for January 1984; foreign ministers.

Countries he planned to visit Nov. 8–11: France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Belgium. Opposition leader Brian Mulroney: "philosophical musings" and "illusions of influence". Trudeau urged the U.S. and the Soviet Union to re-open lines of communication: the risk of miscalculation is too great." (shooting of Korean jetliner by Soviet fighers was previous month (September).)

"We may at some point be able to freeze the nuclear capability in the world at greatly reduced levels. But how do we freeze the menacing intentions which might control those weapons which remain?" Conference on Disarmament to open in January in Stockholm. Political "confidence-building measures": steps to "reduce tensions" ... "mitigate hostility" ... "build ... confidence".

"Third rail of high-level political energy" re two-track = deployment of U.S. missiles in Europe, plus negotiations (response to Soviet SS20s). Pavel Podlesny of Academy of Sciences, USSR, said, "Every step which can ease or reduce these tensions is positive in itself."

The U.S. warned Trudeau not "to impose regarding US-Soviet bilateral relations". Stronger in negotiations if united.

Pavel Podlesney (sp?), section head of Moscow Institute for US and Canadian relations: "Give him a chance. He can contribute in his own way to lessening the tensions."

Five elements of Trudeau's peace plan: Trudeau "deeply troubled".
 * 1) Five powers (Britain, France, China, US, USSR); negotiations re limits.
 * 2) Raise nuclear threshold: stick with conventional.
 * 3) Political and economic confidence = "ways of designing a consistent structure of political and economic confidence with which to stabilize East-West relations". Jan. 17 Stockholm Conference on Disarmament in Europe.
 * 4) away from military towards dialogue.
 * 5) non-proliferation.

Senator Michael Pitfield, friend of Trudeau, chairman of Canadian delegation at UN disarmament talks in New York. "they are not talking" in Geneva, Vienna, NY. "quite satisfied that the cruise missile is not a first strike weapon, that it is a defensive weapon." is how he defended cruise missile testing in Canada. Re Trudeau: "very slim" chances of reopening talks, but must keep trying. Trudeau at the time was on a mission to 6 European states then Japan.

Met Pope John Paul on this day. Met Italian PM Bettino Craxi on this day. (November 10, 1983). Rome was the 4th stop, after Paris, Brussels, The Hague. Planning to go to Bonn to meet Chancellor Helmut Kohl. On November 11, planning to attend Remembrance Day in the Netherlands, then to London to meet Margaret Thatcher. Trudeau says to think about after November and December (meaning US deployment of cruise and Pershing 2 missiles in Europe).

Trudeau says there is a "consensus in general terms" from Britain, France, West Germany, Belgium, The Netherlands and Italy apparent in his 4-day trip to Europe. Leaders are concerned about: increasing US/Soviet tension; confrontation between US tropps and Soviet-backed Syria in Lebanon; and the invasion of Grenada. François Mitterrand was president of France. There were public demonstrations (not in France, though) against cruise and Pershing missiles. Wilfred Martin was the Belgian PM. While Trudeau was in Rome, 10,000 people demonstrated against the deployment of cruise missiles in Sicily. There were debates in the Belgian and Italian parliament about delaying deployment. His task force had a dozen proposals.

(from page 1) Trudeau's peace plan:
 * 1) ban of testing and deployment of space weapons; considering effect on communications satellites.
 * 2) search for new initiatives to restart Vienna talks re conventional weapons in Europe
 * 3) a summit of 5 powers to discuss limits on nuclear weapons
 * 4) strengthen the Non-Proliferation Treaty by linking disarmament with third world development.  Trudeau planning to go to Japan on Thurs Nov. 17. Trudeau said he had gotten "clear expressions of support for my initiative".

(from page 9) "One man representing one country cannot promise a miracle, let alone deliver one ... Moreover, I am not alone." "I found a particular consensus on the need to lay down a third rail of confidence and communication, a rail charging our dealings with the other side with a current of political energy." Elements of the plan:
 * 1) A forum for 5-state nuclear talks.
 * 2) "shore up" the non-proliferation treaty: link disarmament and development; peaceful nukes.
 * 3) Warsaw Pact conventional forces. MBFR Mutual and Balanced Force Reductions (Vienna); need new initiatives.
 * 4) "ban on the testing and deployment of those anti-satellite systems designed to operate at high altitude." global communications "of critical importance for crisis management". Also: excessive mobility of ICBM's; verification.

Planning to meet Japanese president Nakasone on Sat Nov 19. "I believe that peace must be waged steadily, with caution and with realism."

(also from page 9; continued from page 1) "Nonetheless, it is essential in my judgement to seek stability at a number of points along the downward trend line and to recognize that peace and security in the modern age are indivisible." Trudeau

(Wed. Nov. 16 1983) Trudeau planning to visit Bangladesh on the way to New Delhi for the Commonwealth Conference. Military leader Gen. H. M. Arshad intends to call presidential elections over the next year.

US secretary of state Kenneth Dam: "Political will expresses itself through serious discussions at the table, and there are already serious discussions at the table." The U.S. were concerned about Trudeau's peace initiative.

A U.S. State Department official (unnamed) cited serious problems. The U.S. doesn't oppose it, but is not wildly enthusiastic. It's incorrect that there's a lack of political purpose by the 2 superpowers.

Expects to meet Nakasone today. (article of Nov 19)

U.S. had criticized Canada, saying to put more money into NATO before you have the right to call for peace. External affairs minister Allan MacEachen: "If that is a deeply held view then it makes it even more urgent the type of thing Mr. Trudeau is attempting." "That misconception would seem to rest on the idea that the sole way of promoting peace is through arms build-up. That is not the only way." PM met yesterday (?) with Nakasone in Tokyo. MacEachen: not only specific proposals, but "political atmosphere". The plan was to go from Japan to Bangladesh, then India. After Nov. 30 end of Commonwealth meeting, will fly to United Arab Emirates, Bahrein, Oman and Kuwait.

Trudeau met with Gen. Ershad and Mr. Kamda. Geoffrey Pearson also travelling to Peking and Moscow to explain Trudeau's initiative.